What is a clause?

Clauses are the building blocks of English sentences. Sentences are groups of words that
contain a subject and a verb.

To understand clauses, it is a good idea to review the different components that make up a
sentence.

Words are the smallest units of meaning, for example:

squirrel

Phrases are small groups of words intended to convey meaning, such as:

the fast, red squirrel

A clause is a group of words that contain a subject (the noun or pronoun about which
something is being said. It is usually the ‘do-er’ of the action) and a verb (a doing word).
An example of a clause is:

The fast, red squirrel darted up a tree.

The subject of this clause is the fast, red squirrel and the verb is 'darted'. This can also be
called a simple sentence.
What is a main clause?

A main clause is a clause that contains a subject and an object. Main clauses make sense on
their own. The main clause is the same as an ‘independent clause’.

'I like bananas.' is a simple sentence which is made up of a main clause.

This is a compound sentence; it is made up of two main clauses: 'I like bananas' and 'I like
grapes'. The two main clauses are joined by the connective 'and'. Each main clause could be
written on its own, as two separate sentences. I like bananas. I like grapes.

Sometimes a sentence is made up of two clauses: a main clause and a subordinate (or
dependent) clause, which relies on the main clause.
What is a subordinate clause?

A subordinate clause contains a subject and a verb, but it needs to be attached to a main
clause because it cannot make sense on its own. For example:

This is a complex sentence (also referred to as a multi-clause sentence). It has a main

clause ('I first saw her in Paris') and a subordinate clause (' where I lived as a small child'),
which relies on the main clause to make sense. The two clauses are joined by the connective
'where'.

Connectives that join clauses can be conjunctions, prepositions and adverbs.

Examples of subordinate clauses include embedded clauses and relative clauses.

Main clauses don't always have to come before subordinate clauses in sentences. For
example: